Improved electrical annunciator for hotels



. .2 Sheets-Sheet 1. H. B. PORTER.

Electrical Anuneator. No.l 98,296. Patented Dee. 28, 1869.

.fm 4,9% @4W Z Sheets--Sheet Z..

TBR.

.POR

Elect l n P-aJtented De0.28,186

, 53rd/Z227" ITNDGRAPNER. WASHINGTON. D. C. l

' to the annunciator at the ofiice.

UNITED STATES- PATENT EENEYE. PORTER, or CHICAGO. ILLINOIS.v

IMPROVED ELECTRICAL ANNUNCIATOR FOR HOTELS.

Specification formingpart of Letters Patent No. 98,296, (lated December 28, 1869.

`the annunciator, showing the arrangement of wires and electro-magnets on one side of the partition. Fig. 2, Plate 1, is a view of the interior ofthe annunciator, showing the numbered plates, the sliding covers, and the devices for operating the covers. Fig. 3, Plate 2, is a section taken transversely through the annunciator in the vertical plane indicated by dotted lines ao in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 4, Plate 2, is a g perspective view of the back Vof one of the numbered plates and its slides.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to certain novel improvements on adjusting the slides which cover the numbers in a hotel-annunciator case, wherein electricity is employed as a means for enabling a person in any room in a hotel to sound an alarm, and at the same time expose to view in the office ofthe hotel the number of the room, as will be hereinafter explained.

To enable others skilled in the art to understand my invention, I will describe its construction and operation.

A metallic wire of proper size, insulated or not, is inserted into the earth to a suflicient depth to insure its contact with constant moisture, and extends thence, by some convenient course, usually fastened to the lathing under the plastering, to the room whence the alarm is to be given. Here the -wire is attached to an ordinary bell-crank or bell-pull, and so attached that when the crank is in its usual position held by a spring, it is not in contact with a second wire, but so arranged that by turning the crank it will be brought in contact with said second wire. This second wire, lettered ain Fig. 1, is thoroughly insulated by being covered throughoutits entire length with cotton or silk, or some other non-conductor of electricity, and extended along the partitions After the wire a passes through the outer case A of the annunciator it is attached to one end of a spool, a3, of coiled insulated wire, which spool is placed upon one leg of a bent soft-iron wire, C, bent in the form of the letter V. At the other end of the wire on spool a3 another'wire, a4, is attached, which extends to the electro-magnet E. After passing in these coils the wire lettered d passes out of the case A, and is carried to some convenient place, where it is joined to one of the poles of a small battery, the other pole of the battery being connected by a wire to the earth. This last-named wire need not be insulated; but all the wires from the bell-,crank to the battery must be insulated in any Well-known manner.

Each one of the V-wires C is so arranged that one leg is directly above the other, and it is placed in an aperture made through a partition, B, of dry pine, secured in a vertical plane within the case A, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. To the uncovered end ofthe V-wire C a hooked armature, c, is pivoted, so that it can swing freely, to which armature a gravitating arm is applied, which will act to keep the hooked end of this armature in the position indicated in Fig. 3, in which position a triangular toe, i, on a sliding cover, I, rests on said hooked end.

When the slide I is thus supported upon the hook of armature c this slide covers a number marked upon a plate, H, and when a current ofelectricity is passed through the helix a3, and the Wire C is polarized, thearmature c will be drawn to it, and the slide I released and allowed, by its own weight, to drop and expose to view a number corresponding to the room in which the current was established.

The electro-magnet E has an armature, F; poised 'upon pivots with a clapper, F', so at tached that when the armature is drawn to the magnet an alarm will be sounded upon bell G. Spring f2 draws the armature away from the magnet when the currents are off.

Having thus shown the method of' dropping the slides or curtains I which cover the numbers corresponding to the rooms in a hotel, I will now describe the contrivances which are employed for returning one more of these slides or curtains to a position for covering the numbers.

The slides I are applied to vertical plates H,

which are securedA to pieces applied to the parl ttion"y B, and these slides are allowed free vertical play upon their` respective plates, so that when released from their respective vhooked armatures they will drop far enough to expose to viewthe numbers which, when held. up, they cover.

On the back of each slide I a toe,1, is fixed, which toe is caught by the hooked armature c when the slideis up. Beneath the toes are horizontal arms 7c, which are secured to or formed on verticallysliding bars J, that are connected by links r, levers R, rod P2, lever P1 to a crank-arm, K, the stein L of which latter is adapted to receive a key. S is a spring, whicl1"`will return the lifting devices to the position indicated in Fig. 2, after every upward movement given to the bars J.

I am aware of C. S. Bulkleys patent electrical annunciator, dated October 27, 1850; and, therefore, do not wish to be understood as claiming as my invention anything embraced by said patent; but

What I do claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The pivoted and gravitating hooked armature c, applied to a helix, a3, in combination with a sliding cover. I, substantially as and for the purpose described.

"2. The arrangement of' lifting-arms lc on vertically-sliding bars J, in combination with the gravitating slides `I, working over numbered or lettered plates H, said sliding bars J being connected to a key-shaft, L, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. Coveringslides I, constructed with toes i upon them and arranged so as to move over stationary numbered or lettered plates H, substantially as described.

HENRY B. PORIER.` 

